At the end of November, Storm Bert wreaked havoc across Wales, with my hometown of Pontypridd particularly hard-hit. A total of 125 properties were flooded in Rhondda Cynon Taf, leaving many residents devastated. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected.
This is not the first time South Wales Central has faced such devastation. It's disheartening to see that lessons from Storm Dennis in 2020 have not been heeded by the Welsh Government, local authorities, or Natural Resources Wales. During Storm Bert, sandbags were not distributed quickly enough, flood barriers were denied to some homes, and many residents did not receive flood warnings until it was too late.
Storm Dennis was classified as a one-in-one hundred-year event, and since no flood defences were found to have failed during that storm, it was concluded that existing infrastructure met current standards. Yet, four years later, another storm has caused similar devastation, highlighting the urgent need for additional funding to upgrade flood defences in Pontypridd and for the Welsh Government to take this seriously.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the emergency service workers, council staff, and volunteers who tirelessly helped their communities. In Wales, bad weather is inevitable. However, repeated flooding in the same areas is not inevitable. Our communities deserve better and more adequate preventative measures.
While many residential properties in Pontypridd have insurance to help alleviate the financial pressure of the flooding, this is unlikely to be available in the future if frequent flooding occurs. Many businesses already suffer from a lack of flood insurance which means they bear the brunt of losing thousands of pounds worth of stock. This is simply unfair, and both the Welsh Government and local authorities must do more to support them.
Rest assured, I will continue to hold the Welsh Government and our local authorities accountable. I hope that future events like those we witnessed in November can be avoided and that residents and businesses can have confidence in the measures in place to protect them.
If you have been impacted by the flooding, or if I can be of any other assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me on 0300 200 7471 or [email protected]
Finally, with this being my last column of 2024, I want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
ENDS
